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Pro-Palestinian protest through Sydney condemns the ongoing violence in Gaza

Leesha McKenny

International Day of Protest marked by pro-Palestine supporters in Sydney. Photo: Daniel Munoz

Coffins adorned with graphic images of children injured in Gaza led a pro-Palestinian protest that shut down the centre of Sydney on Saturday.

About 1000 people marched peacefully down George Street towards the US consulate about 2pm, accompanied by a significant police presence.

It followed a rally at Sydney Town Hall where speakers voiced support of Palestinians and condemned Israel’s bombardment of the ravaged territory.

Graphic displays at a pro-Palestine protest march in Sydney. Photo: Daniel Munoz

‘‘How can anyone claim that massacring 1900 people in Gaza, overwhelmingly civilians, with over 300 children murdered, that this is somehow defence,’’ organiser Damian Ridgwell told the crowd.

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‘‘This is not defence. This is a massacre.’’

The protest, the fifth in Sydney in as many weeks, followed the collapse of the three-day truce on Friday that dealt a blow to ongoing efforts to secure a lasting ceasefire.

Mr Ridgwell also denounced the ‘‘hypocrisy’’ of the Australian government’s overhaul of anti-terrorism laws, ‘‘that target Arabs and Muslims who go overseas’’ but not those who joined the Israeli Defence Force to commit ‘‘war crimes’’.

Maryam Alhakim, 19, and Anida Hanxhiu, medical students from the University of NSW, said they came out to protest the ‘‘senseless killing’’ of Palestinian civilians unable to escape the violence.

‘‘When a UN shelter is bombed then what choice do they have to be involved in a conflict like that,’’ Ms Hanxhiu said.

‘‘At the end of the day, Gaza is literally an open prison,’’ Ms Alhakim said.

Osama Nasser, 17, said he had family in Gaza. ‘‘We’ve got them in our minds the whole time,’’ he said.

‘‘I think it’s important ...to let them know that the people in Australia understand what's happening over there isn’t right.’’

Nabil Omari, a pallbearer at the head of the protest, said it was ‘‘very bad’’ that hostilities had resumed.

‘‘We need ceasefire. Please,’’ he said. ‘‘Not only Israel, from Hamas and Israel we need ceasefire.’’